The European Parliament is about to make another attempt to pass a resolution on the EU-US trade deal TTIP this Wednesday. Ahead of this critical vote, an alliance of over 480 organisations from across Europe is calling on MEPs to take the strong resistance from citizens seriously. 2.3 million Europeans have signed a self-organised European Citizens' Initiative that calls for an end of the TTIP negotiations. All MEPs today received the following letter in their native language, signed by the Stop TTIP organisations in their respective country: read full story / add a comment

Shannon Airport will host what they call an "air display extravaganza" on July 18th, to mark the 70th anniversary of the first commercial transatlantic flight at the airport. They say the airshow will provide a visual treat from leading aerobatics performers, parachutists, helicopters, jet fighters and stunt fliers. read full story / add a comment

Global Research article on last March's appointment of Roger Carr,Chairman of Europe’s largest arms firm BAE Systems, as Vice Chairman of the BBC Trust.

Last March the Chairman of Europe’s largest arms firm BAE Systems, Roger Carr, was appointed Vice Chairman of the BBC Trust. Will Carr’s close ties to the arms industry “get the best out of the BBC for licence fee payers” as its mission statement promises?

On the trust’s web site we can read the following:

“The BBC exists to serve the public, and its mission is to inform, educate and entertain. The BBC Trust is the governing body of the BBC, and we make sure the BBC delivers that mission.”

For many years, however, the BBC has been caught delivering weapons of mass deception, lying, censoring important stories and engaging in war propaganda on more than one occasion. Here are just a few articles we published about BBC lies and propaganda:
read full story / add a comment

On Tuesday 23rd June, the exhibition "If I could say one thing to other communities" was launched in the Killarney Public Library which focuses on peoples with experiences of challenging the Corrib Gas Project. The exhibition will run until Saturday 4th July. read full story / add a comment

We are reproducing this very important article by Brandon Turbeville from Activist Post in light of the constant stream of propaganda about terrorism and the recent attacks in which unfortunately three Irish people were killed including others who are just as important, in order to show that there is a direct link to US government foreign policy. In turn this foreign policy serves the corporate state which are the same forces pushing things like TTIP and neo liberal policies, austerity, social deprivation, worse working conditions, destruction of the environment and of course the creeping totalitarian state.

The various programmes advanced by much of the radical left are lodged within the limits of capitalism. But it these very limits that the Greek financial crisis is manifesting. Leftists proposing the limits of capitalism to solve those very limits is a contradiction.read full story / add a comment

This report from FrackingFreeIreland comes from a campaigner from Germany who decided to build a people map of the pro fracking lobby in Germany. The links he uncovered and the techniques have a lot to say about all other issues and how many of the most undemocratic practices are pushed forward. The principle used applies not just in Germany but is widespread including here in Ireland.

Campaigner from Germany
I have done a new graphic on all these lobby and pr firms trying to
manage public perception in Germany. read full story / add a comment

Dublin South Build The Boycott have organised a local community protest march against the unjust water charges in Dundrum D.16.

Dublin South Build The Boycott is a non-party political group who collectively oppose the unjust water charges. It is made up of people who are affiliated to political parties and those with no affiliation to any party. If you like to get involved with this group please don't hesitate to get in touch - Dublin South Build The Boycott of Water Charges. read full story / add a comment

Police searching for man heard peddling
failed economic theories, all understood to be stolen,
in Brussels, Dublin, and Bangor Erris.
Approach with caution. May initially
appear to be real person but is actually
four decades worth of sheepish
Connacht Final handshakes
and a blonde headful of borrowed talk. read full story / add a comment

Despite all the contemporary global interconnectedness, the lack of an international social consciousness among artists (whose work is linked only by its sameness and market-ready designs and styles) evokes frustration in the politically conscious critic and commentator. read full story / add a comment

It’s a rich irony – in fact a richness worth about $7.4 billion, and counting. In the same week that European Union envoys voted to extend trade sanctions on Russia, news emerges from the Paris Air Show that American aviation giant, Boeing, is moving ahead to sell a fleet of its 747 cargo planes – to Russia. read full story / add a comment

Veterans for peace have launched a series of short films as part of a new campaign to highlight the fact that 16 year olds can still be recruited into the army in the UK. They are based on the "action man" character and depict several aspects of war not shown in ordinary adverts. read full story / add a comment

Please join the Cork branch of the IPSC for the end-of-month demo to create awareness among Cork’s shoppers for the need to boycott Israeli products. There are quite a few Israeli products on sale right now – in addition to boycotting items, please take a moment to complain to the management of the shops. read full story / add a comment

The very clear lessons on coalition with the right that now must be re learned by the left in Ireland all over again. The failure so far to rule out a coalition involving Fianna Fail, Labour and Fianna Gael is a failure to learn the lessons of historical compromises of the past. The left in Ireland must set out to build a real alternative to the narrative of austerity propagated by the capitalist parties in Ireland and supported by Labour. read full story / add a comment

A new Trade Secrets law to be voted on next week by the European Parliament threatens a massive clampdown on journalists and whistle-blowers, write Anne Friel & Anaïs Berthier, giving corporations the right to sue those who disclose private information even in the public interest to protect health, safety and environment.read full story / add a comment

The Solidarity Times facebook page is reported today that Water charges protestor Stephen Bennett is being sent to prison. Here is their report.

The Water charges protester Stephen Bennett will be in jail for one month tomorrow. He was not convicted of anything, instead the courts attempted to impose 'protest ban' bail conditions which he has continued to refuse to accept. All sections of the water charges movements should be demanding Stephens immediate and unconditional release.

"To my Friends, Comrades and to the Irish Water movement. I send this message of solidarity from my cell in Cloverhill prison, where I have been since May 20th. read full story / add a comment

The drip feed of questionable deals carried out by NAMA is well under way. Regularly now, we see information reaching the public domain whereby NAMA have sold stressed assets at less than their real value and the purchasers are turning them over within 2 years, at profit ranging from 30% to 40%/ The purchasers are mostly foreign investment funds – ‘vulture funds ‘ – who have picked on the carcass of the stressed Irish property market. Many of them have retained the assets, and become serious players in the residential rental market in Ireland, especially Dublin, and have developed a controlling influence, managing to drive up rents astronomically in our capital city. This all doesn’t make them evil people – they just do what they do, it’s called unfettered Capitalism - our problem as Irish citizens is that our Government have allowed a situation to develop whereby the vulture funds win and the Irish tax payer loses. And our present Neo Liberal Government think that this is all fine. I believe otherwise. Here’s my Leader’s Questions with Taoiseach Enda Kenny this week, who knows that all is not well. - read full story / add a comment